Gibbs to face ~~beamers~~ from Delhi Police

New Delhi:Herschelle Herman Gibbs is all set to face a set of 18 questions prepared by the Crime Branch of the Delhi Police when the South African batsman arrives in the capital on Tuesday for interrogation in the six-year-old Hansie Cronje match-fixing scandal.

The Proteas batsman, in India for the first time after scandal surfaced in 2000, will land in Mumbai with his lawyer Peter Whelan from where he will head to New Delhi.

He will be grilled by ACP Rakesh Bansal, whose leave has reportedly been cancelled, of the Anti-Extortion Cell of the Crime Branch of Delhi Police at a five-star hotel or the Delhi Police Headquarters in the capital, highly placed sources in the headquarters told UNI today.

Gibbs, who was charged with accepting money from bookies during the Pepsi Cup series in India, will have to face posers like who contacted him, how much money did he make and whether the amount was paid in cash or transferred straight into his bank account.

Gibbs has already faced a six-month suspension and a fine for the misadventure.

Among other accused in the scandal, former South Africa captain Hansie Cronje died in a plane crash in 2002 while Sanjeev Chawla, who allegedly laundered the money to Cronje, is at large ever since the scandal came to light. Gibbs' other teammate Nicky Boje is also wanted by the Delhi Police in this regard but the spinner is not accompanying the squad.

One Rajesh Kalra was arrested from Greater Kailash in the capital in relation to the scam.

Gibbs is learnt to have given his consent to the interrogation to the Proteas cricket board and the South African embassy here has given the green light to it.

The match-fixing investigation team witnessed a total reshuffle during the six-year period. Initially, it was being probed by a four-member Crime Branch team led by then Joint Commissioner K K Paul, who is now Delhi Police Commissioner.

Then DCP Qamar Ahmed is now Joint Commissioner (Traffic) while ACP Rishipal is with the Special Cell. Inspector Ishwar Singh, who has been embroiled in a case of amassing wealth disproportionate to his known source of income, is now posted with FRRO.

The Delhi Police chanced upon the scam while interrogating a case relating to a extortion threat to a businessman given by underworld don Dawood Ibrahim's hitman Salim Hatela.

The Crime Branch team, in April 2000, had obtained the permission of the Union Home Ministry to tap the phone lines of the businessman during which it homed in on the entire scandal.